Their Happily Ever After
by Aishuu
Summary: One of the hardest things is to accept the cards that have been dealt. Ran and Conan, and finding what matters after the bad guy is defeated.
1. Chapter 1

**Their Happily Ever After**

_by aishuu_

* * *

**Part One**

"Psst, isn't that the woman who...?" A woman in her forties said to her friend, turning to her friend in a semi-discreet fashion.

Ran was used to the whispers, but that didn't mean she didn't hear them. She tried to ignore what was being said, but the words permeated her mind. She knew that there was nothing wrong with her marriage, but that didn't make everything all right. The world was not accepting of the unusual, especially a country like Japan.

Pushing the cart through the aisles, she considered abandoning her shopping list and just going home. That would be giving them power over her, and Ran was nothing if not stubborn. She would not submit to their petty manipulations.

Sometimes she wished she wasn't so pigheaded. They had considered relocating, but she pointed out that he was needed in Beika. He told her that her needs were the most important thing to him, and there were other places that could use his skills. She had shaken her head, knowing that no matter where they went, their union would raise eyebrows.

Her husband popped out of seemingly nowhere, and she almost jumped out of her skin as he leaned against the side of her cart. He had the habit of moving silently – probably a leftover from his days living in terror of the Black Organization – and she still hadn't become accustomed to it. He gained such great amusement from startling her that it'd become almost a running joke between them.

He wasn't joking now. "Are you alright, Ran?" he asked, his voice pitched softly so it wouldn't carry.

"I'm fine, Conan," she assured him, keeping her own tone low-key. She didn't pretend that nothing was wrong, because he knew her too well for such subterfuge to work. "It's just the usual, I know how to deal with it."

He put his hand gently on her shoulder, smiling at her in a reassuring fashion. "They're just jealous you're married to such a stunningly handsome and brilliant man," he said playfully, which was her cue to swat him for his impudence.

She was too tired to play along right now. She shook her head, rolling her eyes. "Really, Conan," she sighed. "Can we just finish our shopping and go home?"

He agreed, but the frown he wore on his face said he wasn't about to forget.

* * *

It had taken her a while before she could bring herself to touch him again once she knew who he really was. A child was not treated like an adult; gestures carried different connotations. She couldn't hold Conan's hand now that she knew he was Shinichi. Shinichi was her almost-boyfriend, not her child.

She knew it hurt him, the way she hesitated, but she was afraid. While emotionally she recognized him - had always recognized him on some level, even when he was Edogawa Conan - it was hard to mentally believe that the boy she loved was trapped in the body of a child. Seeing him in public, playing the cute kid, was another kick to the gut.

And she was so furious that he hadn't believed in her.

She didn't find out what had happened to Shinichi until the eve of his final confrontation with the Black Organization. It wasn't until she'd been kidnapped, held hostage with a gun pressed to her head to guarantee his arrival, that she had finally learned the truth. It seemed impossible that a teenager could be turned into a small child, but she had learned to believe the evidence before her eyes. When you have eliminated all options, and were left with only one, however implausible, it had to be the truth.

And the truth was Shinichi was Conan. She had suspected it many times over the past year, but had dismissed it as ridiculous. After the Black Organization fell, they were left with plenty of time to reconcile with their situation.

It had taken weeks for her to calm down enough to recognize that he had his reasons for his choices. She didn't agree with them, but there was nothing she could do to change the past. The only thing they could do was move forward, accepting their awkward lot in life. Haibara Ai was working on a cure for the apotoxin, and with luck, Shinichi would be able to reclaim his former body.

Ran had never faltered in her devotion to him. He may have been trapped in a body much younger, but that didn't affect his brilliant mind. He was still _Shinichi_, even though she couldn't call him that. He shared their childhood memories, and knew her better than anyone.

She, though, had to relearn who he was.

Conan was not the same person she had fallen in love with when he'd been Shinichi. He was more considerate, and while his ego was healthy, he was no longer so cocky. Most of all, he was more inclined to listen to what she said without jumping to conclusions first. On the whole, she rather liked the change.

There were times she missed the fearlessness he'd once possessed, but his bold bravery that had been replaced by caution. A lot of the impulsiveness that made it so fun to be around him had been curtailed. Sometimes she'd see shadows of the man he had been, but often times he repressed his real self. Ran wondered if at times he wasn't glad to be Conan, since a lot less was expected of a child.

She threw that at him during one of their fights. They couldn't fight they way they had when they grew up together, since she was so much bigger and even if she pulled her blows, it might injure his frailer body. So instead they had gotten into verbal arguments, with her snapping out venomous insults, and him replying with icy sarcasm. She didn't like it, but a couple had to be able to fight, and their new mode was only due to their situation.

He had actually twitched at that insult. "Ran, only an idiot would want to be a child again," he replied. His words were even colder than usual, and she could see the tension in the set of his shoulders. "There may be some easier things, but we're not meant to go back," he said, and then he'd walked out to his room so he could calm down.

She regretted that, because she knew how mind-numbingly boring he found his current existence. It was better, he said, now that he didn't have to hide his intelligence at home, but there was still the public school, and any kind of interaction with people not in "the know." Even without the threat of the Black Organization, he didn't want to stand out. He wanted to be able to "retire" Edogawa Conan without much notice when Ai found the cure.

She apologized later that evening when he finally came down for dinner. Her father, for once exhibiting a sign of tact, buried his nose back in a newspaper and pretended not to pay attention.

"I'm sorry, Shinichi," she murmured as she served him a dish of his favorite food. "I was being mean. I shouldn't have accused you of that. I know you don't like being Conan."

"You may just be a little right," Conan said, and he touched the back of her hand. "Sometimes it's easier for me, since I'm not supposed to be the adult. It's nice to not always have the responsibility for my actions. If anything, this whole mess is harder for you."

She stared at him, wondering what he meant by that. It was only much later she understood, and realized how much better Shinichi understood humanity than she did.

* * *

The strangest thing for her had been watching him grow up again. Unlike normal children, she knew exactly what to expect as he aged. Every now and then she would be struck anew with recognition; his face at ten, then twelve. Slowly he was turning back into his former self.

For a while, they kept hoping that Haibara would stumble upon a cure, but by the time he turned twelve – for the second time – they had been forced to concede defeat. It had been a bitter pill for both of them to swallow.

She remembered coming home from college that day, and seeing him in her father's office chair. He had moved out several years before, ostensibly adopted by Kudo Yuusaku and Yukiko after the "Edogawas" had died in a traffic accident. They couldn't give him his former life back, but at least he was able to have his family name. To her surprise, his parents had decided to call Japan home. She saw him frequently, although the demands school set on them kept them apart more than they liked.

He sat with his feet on the chair, hands hooked around his legs. She remembered the posture; it was the one he had always adopted when considering weighty matters. She hadn't heard of any recent crimes that had caught his attention, but he did have a way of finding dead bodies that was just short of supernatural.

"Conan?" she asked. She'd dropped the honorific after hearing who he really was. "What are you doing here?"

"Ran, we need to talk." He pulled the thick black frames off his face, setting them aside. His feet fell to the floor and he propped his elbows up on his knees, leaning forward intently. She could see vestiges of the man she loved in his child's face. She remembered when they had been his current age together, and ached for that time, back when there had been no murders or villains.

The smile faded from her lips as she sat on the edge of the desk. "What is it?" she asked.

"My parents are moving back to America - and I'm going with them," he said softly.

The words echoed through her mind, and she shook her head. "Just because your parents are moving doesn't mean you have to go!" she protested. She started to think of solutions to the problem. "You can stay with Agasa, or even my parents-"

He cut her words off before she could come up with more suggestions. "I want to go."

She moved her mouth wordlessly, trying to find some way to express her feelings. The idea of him _wanting_ to leave her hurt like nothing else. "If I did something-"

"Ran, I need to let you live your own life." He shut his eyes, taking a deep breath. "And I can't be around you now."

She fought to control her tears. She would not let him see her weep. "Shinichi, I want you in my life. If you don't love me-" She trailed off, unable to finish the statement.

"I do," he said fiercely. "But Ran? I'm not Shinichi anymore."

She stared at him. "But-"

"I talked to Ai today, and she told me she was giving up searching for a cure."

"She can't!" Ran protested. Throughout it all, Ran and Shinichi had both maintained hope that he'd one day be returned to his original shape, and they could pick their relationship back up. They had not openly discussed marriage, but it was one of the unspoken assumptions between them.

"I told her it was okay." He rubbed the bridge of his nose in a tired fashion. "I've been like this for five years, and there's still no progress. A cure would give me, what, five years? And a cure is very likely to kill me, so the risk isn't worth it, not at this point. At some point you have to cut your losses."

It wasn't like him to give into hopelessness. "Even if you can't get a cure, that doesn't mean you have to go! I love you!" she snapped out, her anger robbing the words of the customary gentleness they evoked.

He took another deep breath. "Ran, I'm about to hit puberty again, and I'm not looking forward to it. For the next five years, I'm going to be dealing with a bunch of hormonal issues, and being around you is _not_ going to help." He gestured contemptuously to his slight frame.

Ran scowled at the insult. "If you're implying that I would make fun of you, or do anything less than be completely supportive-"

"That's the problem," he said softly. "I know you, and I know me, and I don't want things to get out of control. When my hormones kick in, I'll want you like a man, but I won't be one. No matter how good my - our - control is, there's a large chance that we'll... well, you're not the only one frustrated at our situation. I'll do - we'll do - something which isn't right. I won't lay that burden on you. I don't want anyone to accuse you of being a child molester."

It sounded so filthy when he phrased it like that. She hadn't thought of that, of what could happen if they gave into impulses... she didn't see a child, she saw _Shinichi_. She saw the man she loved, trapped in a form that wasn't his.

"I promise I can wait," Ran said, not hiding her desperation and fear. "Just please, please, please don't leave me." She didn't want to go through the loneliness of not having him by her side. She couldn't live like that again, since so much of who she was had been created by their relationship.

He lifted a hand to brush away a strand of stray hair from her eyes. "Ran, you need to let me go."

She shook her head, trying to deny the truth he was setting before her. "Shinichi..." she whispered, catching his hand - so achingly small and delicate compared to her grown one - in her own, pressing it against her cheek. She stared into those unshielded blue eyes, and leaned forward to press a chaste kiss on his lips.

He pulled away before she could. "Ran, don't," he said, and pushed the chair away so he could rise to his feet. "I'm sorry," he apologized again, and she watched him leave, before allowing herself to collapse forward, landing on the floor as she buried her tearless face in her hands, wondering what she was going to do. In the end, she did what any young woman in crisis would do - she went to her mother.

Kisaki Eri had moved back in with Mouri Kogorou three years before, and that experience only seemed to lengthen her patience. She listened as Ran explained what was happening, and let her daughter yell about Shinichi's idiocy, and her anger that he was going to leave her. Finally she broke down in a crying jag, leaving her face unattractively blotchy.

Eri just held her, letting Ran cry herself out before speaking. "Ran, you know what they say. If you love something, set it free. If it's love is true, it will come back to you."

"So you're saying I should let him go?" Ran asked dully. She had fought for so long to keep Shinichi in her life, and now she was being asked to just... let him leave. Without protest.

"I'm saying he's letting you go. It's your choice if you want to go back to him," Eri said. "Practically speaking, you can't be together right now, but that doesn't mean you can't find him when he's a little older. That's if you still want him - there's other men out there who can make you happy. Ones less stubborn than Kudo-kun."

"If he thinks I'm going to just let him decide for us-" Ran said, feeling a trace of her customary spirit stirring. She hugged her mother for the sound advice, and took a hurried leave. If she moved quickly enough, there was a good chance she could catch him before the Kudos left town.

She found them in the final stages of packing. The house was being shut up, she noticed, but the chairs were carefully covered with sheets, a hint that someday, they would return. She tried to keep that from getting her hopes up, but that trace of damnable optimism latched onto that small sign.

"Ah, Ran-chan!" Yukiko said, and a happy smile came to her lips. "I'm so glad you dropped by!" Setting aside the newspaper she'd been wrapping assorted glass items in, she caught Ran in a tight embrace. "I'm so happy to see you," she whispered in Ran's ear, before pulling back.

Yuusaku, who had let her in, had been less effusive in his greetings. He had merely nodded his head, like he'd been expecting to see her before quietly directing her to the study. Yukiko's warmth was a pleasant contrast.

"I was hoping you might agree to keep an eye on the place," Yukiko continued in a brisk voice. "Stop in, check to make sure no one's broken in, throw a few parties for your friends so it doesn't feel disused..." She dug in her pockets, before pulling out a Yaiba key chain with a single gold key attached.

Ran smiled at Yukiko's playfulness. "Sure," she agreed, claiming the keys and tucking them into her purse. "I might even dust it now and then."

Yukiko laughed and waved a hand dismissively. "Don't worry about that, a little dust never hurt anyone. Please feel free to stop in any time, especially if you just want someplace where you can be alone."

It was a generous offer. For a student, quiet space was priceless, and living with Mouri Kogorou and Kisaki Eri rarely offered that. Life was interesting, but not tranquil. "Thanks, Yukiko-obaasan," she said. Then she couldn't contain her impatience anymore. "Is Shinichi around?"

The smile on Yukiko's lips faded, but didn't vanish entirely. "He's up in his room getting ready to leave." The pause in the air was heavy, and Ran knew she wasn't going to like what the older woman said next. "I always thought you were going to be my daughter-in-law," Yukiko confessed, and then she broke, tears running down her lovely cheeks.

"Please don't cry," Ran said, wrapping Yukiko in another hug, rubbing her back soothingly. Unfortunately, her words had the opposite effect, causing Yukiko to just sob louder.

Ran had already cried herself out, or else she would have likely melted down as well. Now anger was starting to take the place of her loneliness, and she wasn't going to take the situation lying down. She was a fighter, and she wouldn't accept defeat.

Yukiko gathered herself more quickly than Ran anticipated, giving Ran another tight hug of gratitude before using her left hand to brush her tears away. "It's going to be so hard for him," Yukiko said, and her voice cracked. "I've never seen him so hopeless. Shin-chan always just bounces back, or finds some other way to a solution, but he just _can't_ this time, and I don't know how he'll cope. I don't know how _we'll_ cope." Her eyes threatened to spill again, but she snuffled, trying to regain her composure.

Ran would have had to have a hard heart to not to be moved by the older woman's obvious turmoil. How hard it hard to be, to see your child suffer and not be able to do anything about it. "He'll survive," Ran told her. "If there's one thing Shinichi is, it's a survivor."

Yukiko agreed, but her words sounded flat. "He is, isn't he? You should go talk to him and say good bye," she said. "We're leaving to catch our plane in about an hour, so you'll have to be quick."

Ran's own words rung mockingly through her mind as she mounted the stairs that would take her to his room. Shinichi might have the gods' own luck when it came to surviving, but she wasn't sure about herself. Her anger had been partially dispelled by Yukiko's obvious pain, which had probably been Yusaku's intent. She could talk to Shinichi now without yelling - well, she could _start_ a conversation without yelling. Knowing him, she'd be furious again within minutes. He was such an idiot.

His door was open, and she could see him sitting on a chair already covered with a sheet in his favorite thinking posture. She didn't know if the Kudos were keeping the residence, since they could be having movers come in later, but the dust cloths were a good indicator that they would return someday. He had taught her to think of those kinds of little details. He had taught her a lot.

When he had first turned into Conan, he had been forced to leave all his belongings behind. Occasionally she would sneak over to his house and sit in his room, pretending that he had just stepped outside to fetch them some snacks. Now that fantasy was lost to her, since most of his personal belongings had been packed away, leaving the room spartan. It really hit her then. _He was going away forever._

She must have made some noise, because he started, swinging his startled gaze toward her a millisecond later. "Ran?" he said.

"You know, it's rude to just leave in the middle of a conversation," she said, crossing her arms over her breasts.

"What else is there to say?" He hung his head, and she could see the weariness in the set of his shoulders. He looked even younger than the twelve he was able to claim as Conan.

"Shinichi, you just can't walk out of my life and expect me to let you go without a fight! I can't say goodbye to everything we had so easily!" She was yelling, not caring if they were overheard by their parents.

"I've got to say goodbye to Shinichi, too," he snapped in frustration. His hands balled into fists at his sides. "I have to admit that I will never be that person again! Do you think this is easy?"

"I know, I know..." she said. "I realize you're doing what you think you have to, but I'd like it if you didn't make up my mind for me."

His glare faded. "Ran?"

"I won't wait for you. I'll try to move on, but if it doesn't work, I want you to be willing to at least give us a chance," she said firmly. "A fair chance."

He blinked, trying to understand what she meant. "Ran, we can't-"

"Just because we can't be together now doesn't mean there's not the future," she said. "If we really love each other, it would be ridiculous to stay apart because of a difference in age. I don't want you to promise anything except that you're willing to keep your mind open to the possibility. If all else fails, I still want you as my friend."

He nodded slowly, and she tried to keep that from making her excited, but Ran knew what she had accomplished. She had won a battle with the world's most stubborn detective.

"Thank you," she said, and went to him for an embrace. There was nothing romantic in her touch, just gratitude and caring.

He didn't pull away, but there was no visible reaction to her touch. She wished he would hug her back, at least for this goodbye, but he didn't. A bit annoyed - and not willing to admit her fear that he was already shutting her away - she shifted so she could look at his beloved face. She stared down, stunned into silence when she saw the glistening sheen of tears on his round, childish cheeks.

She had never seen him cry before.

"It'll be okay," she promised, and her words opened the floodgates. "There's only one truth, and that is that things will work out in the end. If we believe that, we still have hope."

He started to shake from grief, his sobs silent but raking his entire body. He had never let her see his sorrow and pain like that, but now she held him, letting him grieve for the life he should have had. This she could do; she could be the support he needed at this moment, even if he refused it in the future.

It would be another three years before they saw each other in person again. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Their Happily Ever After**

_by aishuu_

* * *

**Part Two**

She did her best to keep her word, but there were times she felt so alone that she would spent hours in the Kudo library, feeling echoes of his presence. On the particularly bad days, she would read his Sherlock Holmes mysteries while sitting in his favorite chair, but she never developed a real taste for them.

Ironically, she became a fan of Laurie King, whose tales of Holmes' wife Mary Russell kept her enchanted. If Shinichi knew she was reading such derivative work, he would probably throw a fit.

They exchanged Christmas cards, and she noticed how he signed his as "Conan." Before he left, he used to use "Shinichi" in their private correspondence. She saw it as a sign that he really was trying to put his old life behind him - either that, or raise up boundaries between them.

Yukiko proved surprisingly good at correspondence. She wrote monthly, using elaborate and sometimes tacky stationary, but her words were clear and factual. She spoke of her son, of how America seemed to agree with him.

With the less regimented American schools, he breezed through middle and high school in six months, before enrolling in Stanford. He took a double-major, criminology and forensics, and maintained a 4.0 GPA, testing out of many of the prerequisites. He finished in less than two years, and then dropped it all to join a local youth soccer team. In three weeks, he had advanced to the junior national team, allowed to play since "Conan Edogawa" had been born in America.

Yukiko didn't voice her concerns, but Ran knew how to read between the lines. The older woman was worried about Shinichi, about his utter devotion to both soccer and solving mysteries - dead bodies still cropped up in his vicinity with alarming regularity - and how he never connected with other people. Shinichi had been outgoing, but Conan was such an introvert that she hardly recognized him as her son. He didn't make friends though he had plenty of acquaintances and admirers.

Ran wrote words of reassurance in reply, although she knew Yukiko was right to be concerned. Though he had won the war with the Black Organization, he had lost the most important battle; the battle to reclaim himself. It had to have been nearly crippling for the once-confident young man.

One night, feeling daring, Ran performed a net search for "Conan Kudo" and was amazed at the results. She had known he would attract attention - child prodigies had a tendency to - but she hadn't realized he would attract _fangirls._

Oh, sure, he'd had them as the Great High School Detective Kudo Shinichi, but that had been different. His fame had been localized, but thanks to the increasing popularity of the web, Conan Kudo was a national phenomenon in the States. Great soccer player, genius-level intellect, and handsome to boot. The number of fan sites made her boggle.

It only took visiting three to convince her that some places were best left unexplored. One fan had created a fictional, highly explicit, romance with Conan and "Mary Sue" as the stars, while another proudly displayed manipulations so skillful that Ran would have believed them real if she hadn't known Shinichi.

She had emailed Yukiko about it, foregoing their usual paper letters, because the idea of "Conan" as an international superstar worried her. There were elements about his background which would ring false if it came under too much scrutiny. Fame was not conducive to secrecy, and no one would believe the truth - that Conan Kudo was in truth Kudo Shinichi, who had been shrunk by poison from an international criminal ring. It was too outlandish to buy, even for the most naive soul.

Yukiko hadn't been concerned, replying later in a coded message written on Hello Kitty stationary. It took Ran a week to figure out the cipher, but Yukiko's words were reassuring. The background created for Conan was the best, Yukiko explained, designed with computers the Agasa had developed using the Hiroki software structure. And a well-known kaitou, who had ties to the Kudo family Yukiko couldn't explain, had seen to ensuring the hard copies were all where they should be.

It was the last line of her message, though, that stuck in Ran's head.

_Star talent like Conan's rises to the top,_ Yukiko wrote back. _Some people have so much light it's impossible for them to do anything but shine._

Ran thought on that, and came to accept it as true. No matter what he did, Shinichi was going to do it to the best of his formidable abilities.

It was time for her to do the same. She couldn't spend her entire life waiting for a man - boy - who might never come back. She folded Yukiko's note away, storing it in the small box where she kept most of her mementos of her time with Shinichi, and turned to the business of filling out applications for law school.

* * *

When she was in her senior year in college, she met a man who reminded her of Shinichi, at least physically. He had blue eyes and was built on those slender-yet-muscular-soccer-player lines that made so many women swoon. Even his face was similar - the first time she had seen him, she had dropped the coffee she was carrying and stared at him. It was like seeing a ghost, or catching a glimpse at how Shinichi _should_ have looked in his early twenties.

The man had been quite nice about it, since he'd been staring at her, too. He just winked, then mouthed, "stay after class?" to which she had nodded without second thought. She had never believed at "love at first sight," but the way he made her feel made her wonder. When he smiled at her, her insides clenched tightly, and she found herself attracted to the first man since Shinichi.

He had waited by the door for her, and she tilted her head up, gazing at his face. Up close she could see the differences - a slightly heavier jaw, hair more wild than Shinichi's ever was. The eyes, though, were that same brilliant blue she used to dream about.

"You're Mouri Ran, right?" he asked, and his voice was so close to Shinichi's that for a second, she wondered if she'd created him from her memory. There had been times she'd fantasized about meeting Shinichi again, and this seemed like one of those daydreams.

"How did you know?" she asked.

"I always make a habit of learning the names of especially beautiful women," he said, and the flirtation rolled naturally off his lips. He introduced himself, bowed, and offered her a red rose which appeared from nowhere.

They dated for two months, although nothing ever came from it. A couple kisses, a lot of dates, and plenty of good conversation. He was a fascinating individual, one of the smartest she'd ever met (though maybe not quite as bright as Shinichi, a treacherous little voice said at the back of her mind), and he liked her. She liked him, too, but it didn't take long for her to realize that she would never love him. What she liked about him was the way she reminded her of Shinichi, and he was too nice a guy to misuse like that.

It took a lot of soul searching, but eventually she decided that she would have to break it off. She felt badly about it, but it would be worse to mislead him. It had taken two more dates for her to get the courage to break it off.

"This isn't going to work out," she said. They were in the cafe that had become "theirs," enjoying coffee and cake brought by their regular waitress.

"The meal? I have to admit the crumb cake isn't great, but it's still edible-" He was always so humorous, able to make her laugh at the most inane things.

She didn't laugh this time, and his face sobered as she reached across the table to press his hand lightly in her own. "No. I don't think we should see each other anymore. It's nothing you've done, it's just..." she pulled her hand back, trying to find words to explain her situation, and how horrible she felt about using him.

"It's your ex, isn't it?" he asked with the uncanny insight he had. He cradled his head in a hand, and didn't seem disturbed at all.

"Yes," she admitted.

He smiled, slightly sadly as he stared at her face. "Is he coming back?"

"No," she said, the word still containing a full measure of pain as she admitted the truth. "But I'm still in love with him."

"I thought you might be," he replied. "Sometimes I noticed you weren't really speaking to me."

"You look a lot like him," she said. "It's amazing, really."

He cocked his head in the same fashion Shinichi did when he was about to make a point. "They say everyone has a twin," he agreed easily. He didn't seem annoyed about being dumped at all, still the same playful gentleman who she almost fell in love with.

"I hope you're not mad at me," she said. "I really do like you, but... not in the right way."

His shrugged eloquently, relieving her fears that she might have inadvertently promised more than she could give. "I think I might have been using you a bit, too, Ran, and I'm sorry for that. You remind me of a girl I loved," he said.

"Oh?"

He knew her well enough to answer the correct question. "She looked a lot like you, and had a similar temperament." His eyes grew distance, and Ran knew he wasn't seeing her face, but of someone in his mind's eye.

"Why aren't you together?" she asked. She knew that it was impossible for her and Shinichi, which made her hypersensitive to other true loves - and from the way the soft smile was curving his lips, Ran knew he loved his mystery girl.

"She found out I was keeping a secret from her. I don't blame her for hating me - if our situations were reversed, I'd be angry, too." He lowered his gaze to the table, fiddling with sugar packets, juggling them without thinking about it. He had a habit of fidgeting, though his methods could only be classed as unique. He worked part-time as a magician, and was only getting a degree so he could set up his own business.

Once Ran would have been offended on his former girlfriend's behalf, but her experiences with Shinichi had taught her that sometimes things weren't so simple. "Did you have a reason to? I mean, were you keeping a secret because you could, or because it had to be kept?"

"The best reason," he assured her. "Sometimes it's better not to know something at the time. Sometimes the truth can be dangerous, in more ways than one."

She had learned that the hard way; she hoped his experiences hadn't been as brutal as her teenage years, but from his tone of voice, she realized they probably had been. Ran took a sip of her coffee to steady herself before replying.

"If you still love her, you should fight for her," Ran said. It hurt, encouraging him to go to another woman, but not the way it would have if she'd been in love with him herself. "If she knows the truth, you should have faith that she can handle it. If she truly loves you, she will be able to."

His expression flickered, a range of emotions passing over his face too quickly for her to read. Then his face shuttered, like a window shutting. He handed her another rose, one which he'd produced just as miraculously as the first time. It was white this time. "It would have been easier if we could just love each other."

"Why accept a substitute in lieu of the real thing?"

He laughed, and shook his head. "You should call Kudo," he said, throwing money on the table to cover their meal. "I'm pretty sure he still loves you, too."

He kissed her on the cheek, and his smile was so like Shinichi's that for a moment, she had a hard time remember who he was. She didn't bother watching as he left, sitting calmly and finishing her coffee before rising to return to her own home. It was only later that evening that she realized that she had never said Shinichi's name.

She wasn't surprised to find that he'd made a mid-semester transfer, even though she'd never heard of such a thing in college before. He'd been the type who was the exception to the rules, just like Shinichi.

A year and a half later, a wedding invitation arrived for her at her new apartment, announcing the impending nuptials of Kuroba Kaito and a Nakamori Aoko. Ran smiled, and send a card with a polite refusal. The next day, she called Conan and asked him to come back to Japan.

* * *

At fifteen, Conan was finally starting to gain centimeters on his height. He was still about three shorter than she was, but in another six months, he'd be the taller of them.

She met him in the airport, and was surprised at how much he looked like the Shinichi of her memories, even with those silly glasses. He was holding a carry on, his head turning as he craned his head around, searching for his ride. He examined all taxi drivers holding signs to no avail. His mother had never arranged the transport in the first place, telling Ran it would be fun to surprise him.

She was reconsidering that "brilliant" idea now that she was standing fifty feet away. What if he didn't really want to see her? What if he was only coming out of obligation, a favor to a friend who he had long since outgrown the need for? For a moment, she considered turning around and walking the other way, but no one had ever called Mouri Ran a coward. There was no way to confront the situation but head-on.

"Conan!" she called, lifting a hand to wave, and he turned toward her. The moment their eyes met, she knew she was still head over heels in love with him, and that he felt the same.

The distance between them disappeared as hasty, long steps brought them together. It had been more than three years since they had seen each other, but they clasped onto each other with familiarity. She buried her face in his shoulder, relieved that he was finally tall enough for her to really, properly _hug_, and he held her tightly. She was laughing and crying and the same time, and she could feel the slight tremors that rocked his body.

"I'm home," he said, and she had never heard words that were more beautiful.

It was perfect for all of an hour. She held his hand as they went through the airport, not speaking although she had a thousand things to say. It took a while to retrieve his baggage, but she waited patiently, drinking him in with her eyes.

She drove him home in the rental car, pointing out sights which had changed, while he remarked on the businesses he remembered and were gone. On their way, they drove by Tropical Land, which had been converted to a Six Flags resort. Ran was not sorry about _that_.

Finally they arrived at the Kudo residence, and she helped him with his bags. The Kudo couple hadn't sold the Beika residence, even though maintaining a mansion in Japan with no one residing there was just a financial drain. Ran had kept her promise and looked after it, and was now pleased that her dutifulness had paid off. He would have a place to stay, now that he was back.

She helped him drag his three bags - and oh, how happy she was that he appeared to plan to stay for a while - into the house. The day before she had gone and given the place a good, thorough scrub to remove the dust that had found its way into the unused home. It looked almost exactly like it had when he left, if a person ignored the lack of personal belongings.

"Welcome home, Shinichi!" she said as she opened the door with her key. She smiled at him, expecting him to be relieved.

He didn't smile, remaining quiet until they were inside and the door shut behind them. "Ran, you can't call me Shinichi anymore. I'm Conan," he said. "I've been Conan for eight years, and I'm used to it."

The smile on her face faded, and she stared at him. She wasn't sure if she would ever get used to calling him a different name; what was she to do, now that the disguise had become his reality, and his real self had become a memory?

She decided to change the subject, move it onto something less painful. "Why do you still wear those glasses?" she asked. There was no need for the disguise, and the heavy black frames overwhelmed his face.

"Because they're useful." He pulled them off and handed them over to her. "I can use them to track people, and there's some neat vision functions which help when I'm solving a crime or tracking down a suspect."

She turned them over in her hand and saw a couple of dials which were hidden in the back of the frames. Most likely Agasa's work, she realized. "Do you have any other tools?" she asked.

He grinned at her. "A couple," he said, before showing her a watch, a belt, his shoes, and his cell phone. "Of course, I have a better kit for when I'm on a case, but these do in an emergency."

"You're like James Bond," she said, shaking her head with amazement. "Did the FBI recruit you?" Her question was only half in jest, since she remembered Jodie Saintemillion and Akai Shuichi. Both of them had been dangerous individuals, but smart enough to recognize how special he was. Even if he was only fifteen, there would be a place for someone with his skill set.

"They tried, but I refused," Conan - she had to start thinking of him as that - said. "I don't want to be a part of a large, secretive organization. I think I have a phobia or something."

Most people would have laughed, but the truth was grim enough that she couldn't find the humor. "Do you know what you want to do, then?" she asked.

"I'm going to open a consultation business," he said. "Offer training to police officers, insurance investigators, that type. I'll probably take some cases as well, but I don't want to do too much - I'm going to be working on a novel."

"A novel?" she echoed, raising an eyebrow.

"Father seems to think it might help me deal with my issues," he replied, rolling his eyes. "If it's good enough, he'll get me in touch with his publishers. If it's _very_ good, he's going to talk about me taking over the Night Baron series in a couple of years."

She had never thought of him writing, although he'd be brilliant at it. Probably even better than Yuusaku, once he got the hang of it. "Do you want to?" she asked.

"I don't know what I want anymore, except for you," he said softly, and he was staring into her face.

Ran's breath caught and then she reached out and cupped his face in her hands. Slowly, so he had a chance to stop her, she leaned in to press a kiss against his lips, a gentle romantic kiss that didn't have anything fraternal in it.

He didn't pull away.

* * *

They had waited as long as they could, but he'd finally turned sixteen and declared it was time. He proposed to her at Beika Tower after a romantic dinner and night of dancing. It was perfect, and she'd agreed eagerly when he asked her to be his wife.

Her mother had warned her it might not reflect well on them to marry while he was still so young, but they had both been stubborn. They'd been kept apart for ten years due to that blasted apotoxin, and now that he was of legal age, they could finally get married and really devote their lives to each other.

Both sets of their parents were worried about that. Kogorou had long since resigned to the inevitability of their union, but he worried what others would think. He had, with uncharacteristic tact, taken her aside late one night, sharing his concerns over tea.

"Ran, you're ten years older than he is, physically. Most people won't wait for explanations - they'll think you're a cradle robber. If you wait a couple more years, the age difference won't seem so big."

"Dad, we've already waited for ten!" she protested. "I love him, he loves me, and that's what really matters. If the world doesn't like it, well, they can just shove it."

"That's easy to _say_, but it's hard as hell to live," Kogorou said. "You're too stubborn, girl."

"I know what I want," she replied, setting her chin mulishly.

Her father shook his head. "I knew you'd say that. Listen, Yuusaku and I talked about it, and we can arrange a marriage between you. It might make things a bit easier for both of you, if you can blame your parents."

She felt her temper start to rise. "It's _our decision_, Daddy. I don't _care_ what they think!"

"Perception is important, Ran. People kill over it," Kogorou said.

"People kill over anything," Ran replied bitterly, her experiences coloring her perspective. "But there's one thing that both Conan and I live for - and that's the truth."

"The truth isn't always an absolute," he replied. "If I can protect you, I will. You may be be an adult, but you're still my daughter." He sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. He looked old, she thought, old and tired. With a start she realized that his fiftieth birthday was approaching. White strands speckled his once-black hair, and there were more lines around his eyes.

It was his genuine concern over her future that was motivating him - and Conan's. Along the way, he'd acquired a bit of affection for the boy, though it had taken months for him to forgive Conan for the whole "Sleeping Kogorou" mess.

"Daddy, I want to do it by myself. I don't want anyone thinking that others can make my decisions for me."

He had agreed, reluctantly, that she was free to do as she wanted. Later on, she would wish she had listened to his objections more carefully, because he did have a point. But hindsight is 20/20, and she had been too happy to care about appearances.

The wedding was arranged with the help of Eri and Yukiko, who were both excited about the marriage after they got passed their initial concerns. They had dreamed of it for decades, and they spent hours discussing things like joint family vacations and grandchildren. Ran blushed sometimes when they started to hint about married life, since both lacked modesty about the true nature of "marital relations."

It was their fathers that were more reserved, less excited about the impending union. Ran put it off as her father's overprotective streak, and Yuusaku had a way of always being pessimistic. She ignored both of them;she and Conan were in love, and that was what mattered to Ran. Conan seemed to have a similar philosophy, although occasionally he'd fall silent and thoughtful.

Conan told her he'd rent a suit and show up, but everything else was in her hands. His business was doing okay, although it wasn't a smash hit. Many had trouble accepting training from a teenager. He made enough money to support himself, and they planned to move into the Kudo residence - Yukiko and Yuusaku were deeding it to them as a wedding gift. His first novel, a murder-mystery starring a teenage detective, had fetched a hefty advance and a five-book contract. When Ran added her plump salary from her law practice, they would be quite comfortable.

There were thousands of little details to attend to for a wedding, and it was during this time the rumors started. Ran was so caught up in preparations she didn't really pay them much mind.

It was mainly women who indulged in the gossip, most of it less than complimentary to Ran. Some people recalled that she had been Conan's guardian as a child; others remarked on his remarkable similarities to the once-famed Detective of the East, Kudo Shinichi, who had died on a case several years before. The nastiest didn't take anything into account, merely focusing on the age difference between them.

The few times she did hear it, she brushed it aside. Conan, however, would listen to it all carefully, although he never discussed it with her.

The day of their wedding - the first Saturday in September - finally arrived, and they were married in the morning. Sonoko and Heiji were selected as their attendants; Ran would have liked Kazuha as well, but Kazuha was pregnant, and couldn't stand on her feet long enough. They had agreed, gracefully, that Kazuha could sit with Conan's family.

She wore white, an elegant gown she had spent weeks shopping for with Sonoko. He wore white, too, since he disliked the color black. They made a charming pair, their close friends - those that new the truth of Conan's identity - said, but those that didn't were less than thrilled with the union. They played lip service to congratulate them, but their words were less than truthful.

When they were finally pronounced man and wife, she didn't bother to hide her tears. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Their Happily Ever After**

A Detective Conan/Magic Kaitou Fanfiction

by: aishuu

* * *

**Part Three**

She was a virgin on her wedding night, and she was proud of that. She could give herself to him completely, not holding back any secrets. She told him right as they entered the honeymoon suite of the cruise ship.

He blushed, but she could see he was pleased.

They had originally planned to eat dinner in the ship's main restaurant, but standing in that small room, their patience came to an end. He reached for her just as she raised her arms to claim him. Their first kisses were soft and familiar, but he grew bolder, his hand cupping her breast and caressing it through her travel outfit.

She had planned on slipping into the negligee she'd purchased specifically for their wedding night, but all thoughts of setting the right mood to create a perfect memory flew out of her head. She clutched at his shoulders, and leaned back, pulling him on top of her as she landed on the bed.

It wasn't perfect. Neither of them was completely sure what to do, in spite of all the romance novels she'd read, and the inevitable porn a teenage boy is exposed to. Reality was a bit different, and they fumbled as they stripped off their clothing, and explored each other's bodies.

It hurt, quite a bit, when he initially penetrated her. He pressed kisses against her tears, apologized, and asked her if she wanted to stop. She had smiled up at him and pushed her hips into him, encouraging him to keep going.

They eventually found a rhythm, and the pain faded, and it felt so _good_ to finally be with him. The tension in her body built and built, and finally it peaked, and she yelled for him. She didn't know which of his names she used. Her release triggered his, and she caught him as he collapsed.

The aftermath wasn't embarrassing. They lay naked next to each other, but thoughts of modesty didn't occur. Instead, she leaned against him, listening to the sound of his breathing. She was happy, she thought. She hadn't known she could love him even more than she already did.

"Ran?" He spoke softly, adjusting his grip on her waist so he could look at her face.

She turned her head slightly, and was delighted to see how utterly content he looked. "Yes?"

"I love you."

"I love you, too." She nuzzled his neck affectionately before shifting up to capture his lips, with predictable results.

They finally left their room at close to 2 a.m., seeking one of the all-night eateries. They were both famished, and had playfully decided they couldn't spend their _entire_ honeymoon locked away together – just most of it.

He directed her to find a table in the nearly empty cafeteria while he fetched food for them both. Slightly suspicious that he had a "surprise" in store, she agreed after snagging a quick kiss.

She found a place near the window. It was late, but there was enough moonlight shining off the waves for her to enjoy the view outside. The night seemed very dark, with the sky unclouded by the light pollution that she'd grown accustomed to. She stared out of it dreamily, her mind still dazed with happiness.

"Are you here alone?" a voice said unexpectedly. Ran turned her head with surprise. A tall woman dressed in casual clothes stood in front of her, holding a cup of coffee.

"My husband's getting a late night snack for us," Ran replied. The word "husband" tasted sweet on her tongue, and she smiled to herself.

"Mine if I keep you company?" Ran did mind, since she wanted to wait for Conan, but the woman didn't seem to wait for an answer, sliding into the chair across from her. "I can never sleep on these ships early, and my husband is a morning person," the woman said.

Ran decided to make the best of it. "I don't think mine is," she said, recalling many mornings shaking a tired Conan awake. That could have changed as he grew up again, though. Shinichi had usually bounced through the mornings.

"Oh? Newlyweds?"

"This is our honeymoon," she replied. Her eyes went to the breakfast bar, trying to catch sight of Conan. "I wonder where he got to."

"Probably hanging out by the dessert bar," the woman replied with a knowing laugh. "The things the pastry chef can do are just short of divine."

Ran licked her lips. "I hope he gets something chocolaty."

"It's hard to miss," the woman said. The woman's eyes wandered toward the buffer, and Ran noticed Conan was standing there, a tray with two heaping plates. He was studying the selection of desserts, and Ran wondered if she could somehow telepathically communicate that she wanted chocolate cake.

The woman tutted. "The bad thing about these cruises is that parents let their kids run wild. Just because they're in a confined space doesn't mean that they won't find trouble. I wonder if his parents know he's out this late."

Ran felt herself flushing, whether with annoyance or embarrassment, she wasn't sure. "That's my husband," Ran explained gently.

The woman's smile faded away, and her expression closed off. "Oh," she said. "He's very handsome. You're a lucky woman." The words sounded tacked on.

"I am," Ran agreed, but the woman made a polite excuse to leave instead of continuing the conversation.

The ship was a large one, but not so large that she didn't realize the woman spent the rest of the cruise avoiding her. Ran didn't let it bother her, because she knew that for a while, she would be meeting similar reactions when people were confronted with the youth of her husband.

* * *

Things were worse when they arrived home and Conan went to retrieve their mail. Even though he'd moved back to Japan a year ago, he still had an avid fan following in America. He'd laughingly told her he'd need several bags to bring it all back, since he'd let it pile up for nearly two weeks.

They decided to spend their evening sorting through it, since he'd actually underestimated what he'd gotten. He had been forced to make two trips to collect it all, and he looked slightly harassed after lugging it all in.

She was curious about what his fans sent him. He'd told her a couple of amusing stories about the more "unusual" items he'd received. His favorite was a Edwardian-period pocket watch, sent by an old lady who'd been a fan of Sherlock Holmes.

She had known that some of the stuff he received wasn't pleasant, and had pulled a wastebasket close so she could dispose of undesirable letters and items. The first two were normal, fan letters that expressed admiration for his writing and a request for a signed picture.

It was the third, sent in a white envelop not bearing a return address, that made her gasp. There was no letter, only a picture of her and Conan at their wedding. The glossy paper was thin and cheap, probably out of a tabloid.

_Why did you marry the hag?_ was scrawled along the bottom. _You should divorce her!_

Her face blanched as she saw the damage that had been done to her image's face and figure. Bright red ink had been used to scrawl epithets and a mustache. The whole image was dripping with vitriol and hatred.

She froze for too long, because he noticed the lack of rustling paper. "Ran? Are you okay?" he asked, before turning his head to look at her. "Was it a death threat?"

"No," she said. She didn't want him to see the letter, but knew it was his. She wordlessly handed it over to him, letting him see what had been done.

His eyes widened a bit, then his jaw firmed. He crumbled it, tossing it into the trash can. "They'd hate anyone that I married," he said. "There's something in some fans that make them think they have ownership of me. They build me up in their minds, and refuse to accept the reality."

She remembered the only time she'd gone on line looking for information about him. "Do I even want to look at what your fan sites are saying?" she asked, struggling to keep her voice level.

He shut his eyes, taking a deep breath. "Ran, please. Don't do this to yourself. The best thing is to pretend they don't exist," he said.

It was bad, then. "Conan, they're going to try to make us miserable."

"They can only make us miserable if we let them," he said. "We knew this wouldn't be easy, but never doubt that I support you – I believe in _us._"

He rose to his feet, moving to stand in front of her. Leaning over, he caught her lips in a passionate, somehow desperate kiss. Ran responded, entwining her arms around his neck and pulling him closer.

They didn't get back to sorting the mail until the next evening. There were more of those hateful letters, but Conan was quick to distract her with jokes about the likely senders.

* * *

She headed back to work a week later, and found that things weren't that different. She used Mouri Ran as her professional name, since she'd already started to build a reputation to rival her mother's.

It took a while for them to learn to live together, and they had their share of spats. However, they never went to bed angry, or left to get away. The memory of what happened when he ran off once was enough of a lesson. You never knew if something was going to go wrong, and neither wanted their last memory to be tinged with ill will.

Ran walked into his office late one afternoon a few months after her marriage, smiling at the two women waiting within. Haibara Ai and Yoshida Ayumi were sitting together on the couch, both enmeshed in their reading material - Ai studying some science journal that Ran couldn't even pronounce the name of, Ayumi taking notes from her English textbook.

"Hi," Ran said, feeling a bit awkward. She knew they were waiting for Conan; she wondered if Ayumi had managed to trip into a case. Ayumi had taken a while to get over the whole "Conan and Ran getting married" thing, but she was a kind young woman who didn't let bitterness tinge her.

"Hello, Ran-chan," Ai said, smiling as she marked her journal by folding a corner over.

"Hi, Ran-neesan," Ayumi echoed a second later, slamming her book shut with a resounding "thump."

They had become friends of hers, although not without reservations on both sides. Ayumi still maintained a shades of her old crush on Conan, and there were times when Ran wondered if Ai wasn't a bit in love with him, too. Even if she wasn't, the knowledge that Ai was indirectly responsible for his shrinking always preyed at the back of her mind. She knew Ai regretted it, but Ran was human enough to resent her. She hoped Ai never found out, since she did love the younger woman, and was thrilled she'd to an Ai's honorary older sister.

"If you're looking for Conan, he's working," Ran said.

Ai shook her head, and a small smile formed on her lips. Over the years, she had become less rigid and more open with her emotions. "We were actually hoping to find you," Ai said.

"Oh?"

"Are you available this afternoon?" Ai asked.

"I should be," Ran replied. She usually took Wednesday afternoons off, making up for it by working on Saturday mornings. "Why?"

"I was hoping you would be willing to go shopping with me to pick out my wedding dress." She looked Ran directly in the eye, challenging and somewhat wistful at the same time. "And bridesmaid's gowns for you and Ayumi."

The offer was pure Ai - subtle, but direct enough that avoiding the implied question would be impossible. "You want me to stand with you?" Ran asked, just to be clear.

"I figured if you agreed, we could drag your husband into it as well," Ai said. "He's not a huge fan of Shiratori-san."

Ran couldn't keep from giggling. Conan didn't _dislike_ Shiratori, but he was convinced that the older man wasn't good enough for Ai. He acted like a distrustful big brother when around Shiratori, challenging him to prove himself, again and again.

Ai and Conan had a tight bond, one which Ran couldn't - and wouldn't - come between. They were the only two to ever survive the apotoxin, and both had played integral roles in bringing down the Black Organization. It was natural he be protective of her.

"He's possessive of his friends," Ran replied. "When Ayumi finds the guy she's going to marry, he's going to be just as bad."

"Or worse," Ai replied. "Can you imagine?"

"I don't want to!" Ayumi interjected, rolling her eyes. "It's not back enough that Genta and Mitsuhiko interrogate every guy I date! Oh, no... Conan tends to drag them through murder scenes as 'tests.'" She crossed her arms over her chest and sighed melodramatic.

Ran and Ai chuckled. It had only been the once, and it really hadn't been Conan's fault things worked out like that, but it didn't excuse his rather cavalier dismissal of Ayumi's prom date as 'incompetent and weak willed.'

"If you think that's bad, think how he's going to be when he and Ran-chan have kids," Ai said in a placating voice.

Ayumi almost choked on her laughter, and though Ran's face was flushed, she joined her. They hadn't discussed children seriously, but Ran knew it would have to be decided soon. Ran didn't want to be too old to enjoy them.

When they had gotten married, Ran had assumed that she was finally going to have what she wanted. She hadn't realized that life never tied itself in neat bows, like a case with a murderer brought to justice in the finale; there were always new problems and questions that needed to be addressed.

They decided to go to Shibuya, since the shopping there was always good and they could find some unusual clothing. It was also a lot of fun, to see what strange and bizarre fashions people wore on the street.

It was hard work to find gowns that looked good on both Ran and Ayumi; Ayumi was built along slender, pixie-ish lines, while Ran had the fuller curves of a mature woman. They finally agreed on simple A-line gowns made in a shaded fabric that ranged from deep sapphire to light sky blue. Ran and Ayumi stood next to each other in front of the dressing room's common mirror, and Ai offered her approval of their selection.

The gown was a bit dressier than Ran liked, but she figured she could wear it at one of the formal dinners Conan always seemed to be invited to, or to own of her own gala events. There were plenty of chances to dress up, even if she disliked most of them.

Once they had made the purchase - and found shoes and jewelry to match - they went to catch a snack at a trendy little cake shop Ayumi had heard about from her friends. The desserts were all cute – and laden with chocolaty caloric goodness – and Ran had a hard time deciding what to get.

In the end she selected a piece of chocolate cheesecake, a small sliver of a slice compared to the three desserts Ai and Ayumi both ordered. Once Ran would have joined them in overindulging, but her metabolism was starting to slow down. If she wanted to fit into the dress she'd just ordered, she'd have to be careful.

Ai talked about her wedding plans, devoting the same attention she'd focused on her scientific research. Ran watched the young woman speak, noting the soft look in her eyes as she talked about "Shiratori-san." The formality seemed strange to Ran, but Ai had always

So it was a love match. She had wondered.

Ai talked about the inspector's family, and how they had welcomed her. They would be putting an engagement announcement in the paper next week. Ayumi mentioned how all the girls at school were begging for invitations.

Ran smiled as she listened, but felt her appetite desert her. There were times when she was fiercely jealous of Ai, because Shiratori was old enough to be her father and no one looked down on _them._ She understood a double standard was at work, but that didn't mean she couldn't resent it.

* * *

Conan and Ran arrived home from the grocery store before the sun set. They had been planning a quiet night together, maybe catching a movie at the nearby cinema if they had the energy. Ran knew she wasn't going to be up for it. The things the woman had whispered in the store had struck their mark, and she felt horrible.

He left her alone so she could put the groceries away. He had learned that Ran didn't like having him underfoot when she was doing anything involving food. The kitchen was _hers_, just like the library was _his._ It was one of the many unspoken compromises that a good marriage had to come to.

She dawdled more than was her custom, unpacking slowly and fidgeting about the placement in their cupboards. When she found herself rearranging the spice rack for the third time, she knew that she was stalling.

She'd heard those whispers for a while, and they were insidious things. Her husband was aware of them, but he wasn't their target. Despite what they thought, she was human and some of the barbs hit her harshly.

But she could understand it. She was twenty-seven years old, married to a teenager. If she hadn't _known_ of Conan's curious situation, she would have asked questions, too. She wanted to fight back, but had no clue how. She hated being powerless; there was no worse feeling, not even loneliness.

Ran took a deep breath and steeled herself in preparation for a conversation with her husband. He would have noticed her reaction, and he wasn't going to let it go. Once, there had been too many secrets between them. Now there were none, and sometimes she believed it was harder to live that way.

She wasn't surprised to hear his voice from behind her. "Ran?" he asked, and she could hear all the things he wanted to ask her just by the way he said her name.

She didn't have to pretend anymore with him. She turned, letting him see the fatigue on her face. "Conan," she said.

He didn't move toward her, offered her no shoulder to cry on which was what she really wanted. Instead there was tension in written into the set of his body, and he looked unsure. "Do you... I mean..." he looked away from her, unable to finish.

She knew what he wanted to ask, and answered the unvoiced question. "I never regret marrying you," Ran said. "I just wish other people wouldn't be so judgmental."

They had been married long enough for him to trust her with his real feelings. Relief was emblazoned on his face like a banner, but she could detect guilt in the set of his shoulders. It wasn't anywhere near as bad for him as it was for her. Most people looked at him with sympathy for being "taken advantage of" by an unscrupulous woman.

"It's the way of the world to judge. Most problems arise through misunderstandings. If people didn't spent so much time worrying about what others are doing, the world would would be a happier place," he said softly.

"If we didn't care what they thought, we'd have better lives," Ran replied.

"Would we?" he asked. "If there was no common morality, then I think the world would be a worse place."

Ran couldn't tell if he really meant that, or was trying to pick a fight – debate – to distract her. "Idealistically, maybe. But practically?" She didn't finish the thought, sighing instead.

Conan stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her, and she let her head fall against his shoulder.

"I love you, Ran. That should be all that matters," he said fiercely.

"I love you, too," she whispered, and tilted her face up so he could kiss her. His lips were warm but firm, just like he was.

He was the strongest man she'd ever know, and she could count on him to support her. Even if he was the cause of more than a fair share of her problems, she would never regret loving him. Eventually the whispers would die down, and they could move on.

Another year, she told herself. Another year, and he would be the man he had been before their fates had taken a swerve into the weird - at least physically. Then he would finally, finally start to grow up in reality, and she could replace the mental image of him she had with a more mature person. She wanted to lay Shinichi completely to rest, and love Conan the way he deserved. 


End file.
